Riding Two Up.

[ocived]

Hello all,
Thank you for adding me to the group. I have been riding two wheelers for over 40 years and have decided in order for me and my wife to be comfortable and a little safer, I'm moving to the 3 wheeled Spyder. I'll be test riding the F3-S-SE6 and the Daytona F3-S-SM6 on Tuesday. These are New 2017 models on sale for $15880. I realize the RT is the most comfortable but the 25-30k is a little steep for us. Do ya'll feel I can get a comfortable ride with some upgrades to the F3 and if so what do ya'll recommend?

Thanks Again

Fred

[Lin]

Welcome to the family. In my opinion, the riding positions of the RT and the F3 are completely different so comfort is very objective. I traded my 2011 RT for a 2016 RT primarily because of my passenger. I liked the driver's position, but a lack of adjustment for my passenger's foot boards was a deal killer.
Bottom line, try them both.

Good luck!

Lin

[kep-up]

Fred, FWIW, I am 72 years and ride a 2011 RSS SE5. And I love it. Rode 2 wheels for over 50 years when I switched. Bear in mind it'll take a bit of time to "get over" riding a single track vehicle, but once you do, . BTW, I recommend the paddle shifters.

[imfleck]

You can get a BASE model SE-6 RT for a lot less than $25K. I bought my 2017 SE-6 RT for just a tad over $17K last August. Look at LeadersRPM in Kalamazoo, MI and at iMotorSports in Illinois.

I went base model and then added a few farkles here and there to make it mine. I didn't need any of the extras the RT-S or RT-L provided.

[JayBros]

Welcome and good luck selecting your new ryde. I agree with kep-up about the SE vs manual transmission. While there are some folks who like the manual shifter, the SE system is much preferred by the majority of owners. That would have an impact on the attractiveness of your Spyder should you decide to sell it.

IMO you should thoroughly test ride both the F3 and RT. Yes, the RT is more expensive, but should you find that you and, most especially, your bride prefer the RT there are generally always some very well cared for machines on the previously owned market. IMotorsports may even have some very attractive deals available. Spyder accessories aren't cheap; therefore you should consider how much you need to spend so upgrade an F3 to make it comfortable for you when an RT might have the things you need right off the floor. Fortunately for you, both models are well proven at this stage in BRP's production history.

[Wrongway]

Be very cautious before taking the plunge. As a rider, we can usually modify a bike to make us comfortable.
The caution enters the picture with regards to your passenger because as we all know....if mama ain't happy, nobodies happy.

I really liked the F3 concept but after sitting on them my wife said she wouldn't ride on it.

If you can somehow swing the RT, it may save you grief and $$$ in the long run.

Just my thoughts and good luck with your decision.

[Highwayman2013]

Hello all,
Thank you for adding me to the group. I have been riding two wheelers for over 40 years and have decided in order for me and my wife to be comfortable and a little safer, I'm moving to the 3 wheeled Spyder. I'll be test riding the F3-S-SE6 and the Daytona F3-S-SM6 on Tuesday. These are New 2017 models on sale for $15880. I realize the RT is the most comfortable but the 25-30k is a little steep for us. Do ya'll feel I can get a comfortable ride with some upgrades to the F3 and if so what do ya'll recommend?

Thanks Again

Fred

The F3T may fit the bill being quite a bit cheaper than the limited and has an air bag to help the rear suspension. Ride many models.

[ocived]

Thank you all, for some good suggestions and information. I hope to be able to share my riding experiences with you all, very soon. This looks like a great community.

Special thanks and Semper Fi to all the Leathernecks. Dad was with the 4th Div. 3/25 on Iwo Jima, Saipan and Tinian.


Fred

[Roadster Renovations]

I have a '17 F3 Daytona and in my opinion that is really a single ryder byke. Occasional 2 up ryding is OK, but wouldn't want to do it on the road for any length. The handling of the byke is so different 2 up that I would be uncomfortable doing it.

For you starting out, the RT or F3Ltd would be the easiest for you to transition. Others may have had different results than me but hat has been my experience.

[bushrat]

... as for the choice of Spyder models, I understand and well appreciate your dilemma; we (missus and I) went through the same agonizing choice last year. We wound up buying a 2017 F3L. I fully expected, when we started looking, that we would buy an RTL. I turned out to be quite wrong. I had been told the RT was the only answer for 2-up riding - comfort, purpose, etc. Well, my old hips just never did feel comfortable on the RT seat; they ached within minutes of climbing aboard. However, I gave my lady the opportunity to cast the deciding vote. The ergonomics are very different. We test rode both bikes. Funnily enough, she preferred the F3; she thought it to be more comfortable and liked the passenger riding position more on the F3 than the RT. She also liked the slightly smaller bike size and felt the overall balance/performance of the F3 was better. I simply enjoyed/preferred the handling and riding comfort of the F3, even though I might have reluctantly bought an RT, in spite of my hips. So, in the end, our choice was made easier by similar feelings about comfort. You will only be able to properly decide by taking some extended test rides for yourself; take several if you can. Don't rush. One word of advice: put the money issue aside for the moment and make a truly fair comparison of the two Spyder styles. In my book, you can only fairly and equally compare an RT to the F3L. Why? Because the 2017 F3L comes with a top case (more equal storage that other F3 models don't have); it also has the automatically adjusted rear suspension that other F3 models don't have. And the rear sprocket is now the same on the F3L and the RT. The F3L is more expensive, but over the longer term you may own your bike, you will have the features that make it more truly comparable to an RT. Whichever bike you choose, we wish you well. Make that choice based on your instincts and your feelings about your personal comfort. We are staunch defenders of the claim that the F3L can be just as good a choice for 2-up riding, in total comfort and for fun riding, as an RT. But that's for you to decide. We love our F3L Spyder, ride 2-up 90% of the time, do lots of day trips anywhere from 2 - 7 hours and wouldn't trade. We're 77 and 73 years, respectively. Others, whatever their ages, may feel entirely differently. So be it. Your personal comfort is what counts, and there will be a Spyder somewhere that can provide it. Good luck. Ride safely and happily.

[Bob Denman]

There's an old saying that applies to this situation:
"You can't turn a pig into a swan...

But with enough lipstick:

Pretty Pig.jpg

You can STILL end up with a really pretty pig!"



Caveat: this is NOT to say that the F3 is a pig...

[Chupaca]

Test ryde will tell you all you need to know. My wife loves the RS and feels the RT is like sitting at home and the F3 is not comertable for her either. She likes to lean into the turns and feel the road. But that is my wife you have to deal with yours....

[CA Railwhale]

I bought a very lightly used base 2015 F3 (175 miles) and went the upgrade route. Just adding a seat, windshield, floorboards and upgrading the rear suspension can easily cost you two thousand to twenty five hundred dollars plus the upgrades that you do for yourself. To my wife, the stock passenger seat was worthless, she just slopped from side to side on it. There are good aftermarket seats available, but since there is a custom seat builder here in my home town I went the full custom route. As many others have said, sit on the bikes with your wife and test ride them if possible. I love the F3 riding position, others hate it. It's better to stretch a bit to get a bike that you and your wife will love rather than one that you settle for. I just checked the iMotorsports website and they have a used RT-S with less than 11,000 miles and the older 998 engine (which some people swear by) for a asking price of about 17,000.00. They have a 2015 one with very low miles, but you have to ask for a price quote. I believe they ship and set up for free anywhere in the lower 48 on their used bikes (I know they do for their new ones). It's going to be a big enough shock going from two to three wheels without adding buyer's remorse to the equation.

[d.o.spyder-rts]

As others have all ready pointed out, it would be best to test ride each spyder. Then you can determine what would be best for your situation. Good luck with whatever you decide and keep us updated. Dale

[DDT]

I have a 2015 F3S sm6 and my wife and I ride two up sometimes when she does not feel like riding her own. She has no voiced no complaints. My 78 year old mother has ridden on several two hour trips and the only thing she said was when can we go again.

[Pat Clark]

I went from a 13 RT LTD to a 16 F3T and added the top box. Have to watch out for my girlfriend falling asleep. One of the things I liked best about the F3's adjustability in regard to brakes, shifter (mine is a manual) and handlebars. Also I like the lack of (tupperware) Less storage room on the F3 LTD than the RT but still easy for me to live with. Ride them all with the other half.

Pat

[ARtraveler]

Hello all,
Thank you for adding me to the group. I have been riding two wheelers for over 40 years and have decided in order for me and my wife to be comfortable and a little safer, I'm moving to the 3 wheeled Spyder. I'll be test riding the F3-S-SE6 and the Daytona F3-S-SM6 on Tuesday. These are New 2017 models on sale for $15880. I realize the RT is the most comfortable but the 25-30k is a little steep for us. Do ya'll feel I can get a comfortable ride with some upgrades to the F3 and if so what do ya'll recommend?

Thanks Again

Fred

Recommended are test rides on more than one style to see what you like.

If you take on a RS--you will end up with a "crotch rocket" type of seating.

A RT will give you the Gold Wing "couch" type of ride.

A F3 will give you a "cruiser" feel. The Daytona is the most sporty.

They are all good. What's your choice?